29 August 2014

Last year, my entire family and I went on a holiday to Okinwawa. Okinawa is a group of sub tropical islands in southern Japan. Oh my goodness, we all instantly fell in love with this place. The people are ridiculously down to earth and incredibly kind. Oh, and do I even need to mention the pristine white sand beaches! So, when my parents decided Okinawa was the place to build their dream holiday home I jumped at the opportunity to help them design. It was challenging putting together ideas and plans from the other side of the world but we think we managed ok! We wanted to keep the look and feel of the home minimal. Our biggest inspiration was MUJI - the most amazing design concept brand from Japan.

So, our next plan is... figure out a way to make a living in this beautiful paradise, Okinawa so we can live there forever and ever!

Here is a list of DIY's we worked on:
1. Half floating kitchen shelves for plates and cups - Made by mum
2. Cinder block TV cabinet. Baskets as drawers for DVD's - Made by myself
3. Cusion covers - Fabric chosen by myself & sewn by mum
4. Coffee table with wheels - Made by dad
5. Bathroom sink wooden facade (to hide the washing machine) - Designed by myself and made by the whole family
6. Toilet paper holder and shelf - Made and designed by mum
7. Vase with shells collected from nearby beach - Made and designed by Atsuko
8. Clay 'Shisa' figures - Made and designed by the whole family

We are in the process of putting together the garden plan so watch this place!

18 August 2014

So, during my recent trip to Japan I stocked up on some washi tape. They were 100 yen (around $1) each from Daiso. At that price how could I not stock up, right?! Ok, so here is my first attempt at washi tape crafting. A DIY tin can container which took me less than 5 minutes.

You will need:
- Washi tape of your choice
- Tin can (washed and dried)

Directions:
1. Just stick your favourite washi tape around and around the tin cans. Voila!

16 August 2014

Baking Soda has been a natural and affordable way to clean and freshen all around our homes for ever! It's pure, safe, and effective, which makes it a great alternative to using harsh chemicals. The best part is that it's eco, cheap and safe around kids and pets!Here are my top top 10 baking soda uses1. Exfoliate skin: Wash
your face, then apply a soft paste made of three parts baking soda and
one part water. Massage gently avoiding the eye area. Rinse clean.2. Refrigerator deodorizer: Place an open box in the back of the fridge. It will absorb nasty odours.3. Unclog a drain: Pour
1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 to 1
cup of white vinegar after it. Let sit for five minutes. Follow with a
litre of boiling water.4. Toilet cleaner/deodorizer:Add
a cup of baking soda into the toilet, leave it for 30 minutes, then
flush. It will clean the toilet squeaky clean and absorb the odour.5. Scrub pans: Sprinkle baking soda on crusted pans and let sit for five minutes. Lightly scrub and rinse.6. Relieve diaper rash: Put two Tbsp of baking soda in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash.7. Cleanse hair:Sprinkle
1Tbsp baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo.
Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly. Baking soda helps remove nasty
residue that styling products leave behind.8. Remove odour from carpets: Sprinkle
baking soda on the carpet. Let set overnight, or as long as possible.
Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda, and vacuum up the rest.9. Feet soak: Soak tired feet in a basin of warm water with 3 Tbsp baking soda.10. Fruit and vege scrub: A safe way to clean dirt and pesticides off fruit and veges. Just sprinkle a little on a clean damp sponge, scrub and rinse.

-
A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning attributes, baking
soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly alkaline (it’s pH is around
8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based odors in water, and
absorbs odours from the air.

14 August 2014

I recently stocked up on some washi tape from my trip to Japan and have been researching some cool DIY washi tape ideas! I came across this super cute wall decal via Everything Emily. I love that she only used 2 rolls of washi tape but for those that don't have any, black duct tape or electric tape would do. I've DIYed a few wall decals with duct tape and it's worked a treat! It's stayed on for over 6 months now, no sweat!

Just cut 2" strips, and stick them on the wall at 5" apart. You can also heat them with a hairdryer for that extra durability. All of this for under $10! Make sure you check out her full tutorial here.

The easiest way would be to actually download it directly onto your iPhone.

1. On your iPhone, open up your browser and navigate to this page.

2.
Choose the wallpaper you wish to download by clicking on the link. Once
the image displays on your screen, press down firmly on the image until
a menu pops up and then click 'Save Image".

3.
Open the "Photos" app and go into "Camera Roll". Select the wallpaper
that you would like to use. Press the arrow button in the bottom left
hand corner of the screen and a menu should appear. Select "Use as
Wallpaper". The rest should be self-explanatory.*Please note these wallpapers are for personal use only and not to be distributed or resold.

All images and design layouts are created solely for Maiko Nagao. Please give credit to anything that you use or reference. If at any time you see work that is inaccurately credited, please let me know and I will be sure to update. If you find an item of yours that you wish to be removed from this blog, just email me and I will do so asap. Thanks!